The Minnesota Twins have chosen Scott Baker over Kevin Slowey as their No. 5 starter, and sources say they are willing to trade Slowey for a late-inning reliever.

But even with Slowey’s success last season — 13-6 with a 4.45 ERA — the Twins don’t appear to have an abundance of trade options.

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The ideal trade partner would (a) need a right-handed starter and (b) be able to deal from a surplus of major league-caliber relievers. Right now, few (if any) teams match that description.

Two clubs that are looking for a starting pitcher — the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners — are also short on relievers.

Teams that could or will be without starters on Opening Day — the Cardinals (Adam Wainwright), Dodgers (Jon Garland), Blue Jays (Brandon Morrow) and White Sox (Jake Peavy) — seem inclined to go with internal options.

Slowey, who has a career 4.41 ERA in the American League, should be an appealing target for National League teams with young rotations. But officials from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates say they aren’t actively looking for major-league starters via trade.

The Toronto Blue Jays have been mentioned this spring as a possible trade partner for the Twins, but the teams don’t have an easy fit right now. The Blue Jays aren’t in position to part with relievers, with Frank Francisco and Octavio Dotel possibly starting the season on the disabled list.

The Twins are looking to fortify their middle relief after a number of off-season departures, including Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jon Rauch and Brian Fuentes. Team officials have been impressed by Carlos Gutierrez and Kyle Waldrop in camp this spring, but neither has pitched in the majors.

Slowey became more expendable with the rapid rise of right-hander Kyle Gibson, who was ranked among the top 40 prospects in the game by Baseball America this spring.

When asked this week about the likelihood of using Gibson, 23, in the majors this year, Twins general manager Bill Smith said, “We’ll see how things go. He’s only pitched one year in the minor leagues. He was very successful. He was our minor-league pitcher of the year. He needs to get stretched out. He’s going to start in the minor leagues. When we need help, we try and go get the best guy.”

The White Sox are open to trading Mark Teahen rather than making him a high-priced utility man at the four corner positions and DH. Still, Teahen represents insurance for rookie third baseman Brent Morel, an outstanding defender who might not hit right away.

Manager Ozzie Guillen likes Teahen’s left-handed bat and estimates that he could find 350 at-bats for the veteran if Morel wins the starting job at third. The problem: Teahen, who is guaranteed $4.75 million this season and $5.5 million in 2012, would be overpaid as a reserve.

• The two biggest stories in Braves camp are the team’s outstanding pitching and the rejuvenation of third baseman Chipper Jones. General manager Frank Wren, however, also is raving about center fielder Nate McLouth.

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“He’s regained some of the form, some of the mechanics, some of the confidence he had when he was in Pittsburgh,” Wren said. “He’s carrying it to the field every day. He steps to the plate confident that he’s going to make something happen. And when he hits it, he hits it hard.”

• Teams looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder are asking the Red Sox about Juan Carlos Linares, a Cuban defector who signed with the club in 2009 for $750,000. Linares, who hit well in the Arizona Fall League and has carried over his success to the Grapefruit League, is likely to open at Triple-A.

The Red Sox, wary of compromising their depth, are unlikely to move any significant pieces before Opening Day. Linares and Darnell McDonald, for example, could fill the same role as Mike Cameron, but probably not as well. Cameron hits lefties, has power, plays all three outfield positions and — most important — is healthy again.

• A scout following the Dodgers said he does not like what he sees. A number of players are hurt, including third baseman Casey Blake and right-handers Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla. But the issues go beyond injuries.

The offense is the team’s biggest question, but the scout said the pitchers aren’t throwing enough strikes and the defense has been less than stellar. The spring stats bear out the scout’s observations: The Dodgers’ walk rate is the second-highest among NL clubs, and only one NL team has made more errors.

With Jay Gibbons, one half of the left-field platoon, experiencing issues with his left eye, the Dodgers might be better off playing Tony Gwynn Jr. in center and Matt Kemp in left. Meanwhile, closer Jonathan Broxton is topping out at 91 mph and Hong-Chih Kuo is the only quality lefty in the bullpen.

The market for bench players is thinning out, but the Milwaukee Brewers still want to add a veteran reserve. Free agent Mark Kotsay is one possibility, according to a major league source.

Kotsay, a left-handed hitter, could pinch-hit for center fielder Carlos Gomez and offer veteran presence along with infielder Craig Counsell. The Brewers earlier showed interest in Willie Harris, who signed with the Mets. Jorge Cantu, who has reached agreement with the Padres, wanted more playing time than the Brewers could offer.

Kotsay, 35, spent last season with the White Sox, batting .239 with a .306 on-base percentage and .376 slugging average. He had eight homers in 327 at-bats. He went 3 for 16 with a walk as a pinch-hitter but is a career .315/.357/.467 hitter in 92 at-bats in that role.

Don’t expect the White Sox to sign left-hander John Danks to a contract extension anytime soon.

Danks, two years away from free agency, would hit the market at 27 and pitch the following season at 28.

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Considering that lefty Cliff Lee signed a five-year, $120 million free-agent deal at 32, Danks might be wise to wait.

Danks, like any player, would benefit from long-term security. But he already has banked more than $10 million, earning $3.45 million last season and signing a one-year, $6 million deal on Tuesday to avoid arbitration.

If he stays healthy and produces at his normal level in 2011, Danks should earn about $8 million in '12, his final year of arbitration.

After that, he would be free.

To this point, Danks is not nearly as accomplished as Lee or CC Sabathia, who commanded a seven-year, $161 free-agent deal at 28.

Still, he has averaged 203 innings over the past three seasons, and his 3.61 ERA in that period ranks eighth among left-handed starters.

And yet, it’s unclear which teams are prepared to give him a contract that meets his salary demands.

Soriano earned a base salary of $7.25 million and picked up another $125,000 in performance bonuses while pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays last year. He led the American League with 45 saves and maintained a 1.73 ERA. He won the Rolaids Relief Award, too. He did all of that while pitching in the majors’ best division.

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So, as a free agent, he could reasonably request $10 million per year. He certainly deserves better than setup-man money. But who is going to pay him?

The Los Angeles Angels seem to be a natural fit, despite their light-spending offseason. Fernando Rodney is the Angels’ best internal option at closer, and he blew four saves in September with a 5.65 ERA.

Other than that ...

The Texas Rangers are not pursuing Soriano. And the Baltimore Orioles apparently satisfied their need for a closer by signing Kevin Gregg.

There are conflicting reports about the New York Yankees’ interest in signing Soriano as a setup man to Mariano Rivera.

And while the Chicago White Sox are frequently mentioned as a possible suitor, two major-league sources said this week that the White Sox are unlikely to sign a free-agent reliever for more money than the contract they gave Jesse Crain: three years, $13 million.

Scott Boras is Soriano’s agent. The Great Negotiator of Newport has had an excellent offseason, signing Jayson Werth, Adrian Beltre and Carlos Pena to contracts that surpassed many estimates. But if Soriano signs for huge dollars, Boras will have made his biggest save of the winter.

Closer Rafael Soriano almost certainly will be the next to depart. Reliever Grant Balfour probably is a goner as well. But there is a chance, however small, that Balfour could return.

Balfour, 32, is a Type A free agent, and teams historically forfeit high draft picks for right-handed setup types only with great reluctance.

Two similar pitchers, the Blue Jays’ Jason Frasor and Rangers’ Frank Francisco, accepted one-year, non-guaranteed contracts through salary arbitration rather than risk a limited demand on the open market.

Balfour, however, rejected the Rays’ offer of arbitration, believing he would land a multi-year contract elsewhere.

Chances are, he will.

Twenty-one of the 30 clubs cannot lose a first-round draft pick for signing Balfour. The worst they could do was forfeit a second rounder.

The Red Sox, Angels, White Sox, Phillies, Tigers and Nationals already have sacrificed first rounders for Type A free agents, and would lose only a second rounder for signing Balfour. The price could even drop to a third rounder if any of those teams added one of the other remaining Type As — Soriano, third baseman Adrian Beltre or right-hander Carl Pavano.

The teams that finished in the bottom 15 of the overall standings last season also cannot lose their first-round selections for a Type A free agent. Those clubs, too, can sign Balfour and sacrifice only a second rounder.

The Rays, then, need 21 teams to determine that Balfour is not worth the price of a second-round pick.

Matt Guerrier reached agreement with the Dodgers, Jesse Crain with the White Sox.

Kerry Wood moved toward a deal with the Cubs, while Dan Wheeler was in talks with the Red Sox, according to major league sources.

The Mariners also are involved in the game of musical relievers, but with a slightly different twist.

The M’s are trying to trade closer David Aardsma, sources said, and free-agent right-hander Kevin Gregg, a native of Corvallis, Ore., is among the possible replacements.

Gregg, who went 37 for 43 in save chances with a 3.51 ERA for the Blue Jays last season, also has drawn interest from the Red Sox and Orioles, among other clubs.

Aardsma, who turns 29 on Dec. 27, had a breakthrough season in 2009, going 38 for 42 in save chances with a 2.52 ERA, but he slumped in the first half of the year, posting a 5.40 ERA before the All-Star break and a 0.84 ERA after it.

Any desire by the Mariners to move Aardsma is at least partly because of his rising salary in arbitration. He stands to earn a significant raise from $2.75 million this offseason and would be eligible for arbitration again next winter.

The M’s might prefer a more established veteran such as Gregg, particularly when they could get him at a salary comparable to Aardsma’s over a multi-year deal.

How close was free-agent first baseman Paul Konerko to signing with the Diamondbacks?

Closer than you might think.

Both Konerko’s agent, Craig Landis, and White Sox officials say the turning point in the negotiations occurred Tuesday night when the team agreed to guarantee Konerko a third year.

Before that, the White Sox had been offering two years and a club option. The Diamondbacks’ first offer was three years, $30 million.

Konerko planned to visit the Diamondbacks next week to escalate negotiations if the White Sox didn't improve their proposal, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

“He was very tempted,” Landis said. “(The D-Backs) clearly were his second choice. We had already made up our mind that if things broke down with the White Sox, the next thing we were going to do was get more serious and engage the Diamondbacks to accomplish a three-year deal for Paul in Arizona.”

The White Sox ultimately signed Konerko to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with heavy deferrals in the third year. He'll earn $12 million in both 2011 and ’12, $6.5 million in ’13 and $1 million per year from ’14 to ’20.

The Rangers were Konerko’s third choice – no offer was made, but the two sides discussed the parameters of a deal, Landis said. The Orioles showed interest, but were never a serious contender.

The Brewers’ inability to trade first baseman Prince Fielder to the White Sox underscores the difficulty of moving Fielder in the current market.

The teams exchanged thoughts on Fielder before the White Sox reached an agreement with free agent Adam Dunn on Thursday. But the talks failed to advance beyond the exploratory stages, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.

The White Sox chose to sign Dunn for $56 million over four years and forfeit a high draft pick rather than give up the quality pitching the Brewers desired.

Few teams are deep in pitching, and the White Sox are approaching a critical stage; both left-hander Mark Buehrle and righty Edwin Jackson are free agents after next season.

Amid such uncertainty, it's difficult for the White Sox to trade a younger pitcher such as right-hander Gavin Floyd, who's signed to an affordable contract that could tie him to the club through 2013.

Market forces, then, are conspiring against the Brewers.

Pitching is scarce. The free-agent market is flush with first base/DH types, and Fielder’s contract is the baseball equivalent of a hot potato.

Fielder stands to earn a significant raise from $10.5 million in arbitration next season, then become a free agent. His agent, Scott Boras, rarely agrees to contract extensions, preferring his clients’ values to be established by the open market.

Thus, any team that gets Fielder likely will keep him for only one season, and few teams are willing to part with the pitching the Brewers would require.

Barring a major payroll increase, the Chicago White Sox can probably afford only two of the three in 2011.

Of the group, Buehrle is the only one currently under the team’s control. He is scheduled to earn $14 million next year, in the final season of his current contract.

Buehrle, 31, is one of the most popular figures in recent White Sox history, and he has a full no-trade clause. If traded, he is guaranteed a $15 million salary for 2012. Each of those factors would make it difficult for general manager Kenny Williams to move the ace left-hander.

And to be clear, there are no indications the White Sox are shopping Buehrle.

But Williams wants desperately to upgrade his lineup with a powerful left-handed bat. He is known to have interest in Dunn. And if Williams signs him to fill that role, then the GM may need to choose between two uncomfortable options – trading Buehrle or letting Konerko sign elsewhere as a free agent.

According to salary data at Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the White Sox have already committed $82.575 million to 13 players for next year. Last year, their payroll was a little north of $100 million.

Add John Danks and Carlos Quentin, both eligible for salary arbitration, and the number jumps to more than $93 million with 10 roster spots to fill.

And it’s likely that both Dunn and Konerko will earn at least $10 million in 2011.

Therefore, it’s virtually impossible for the White Sox to sign both players and maintain their current payroll without dealing away a big contract. And with Jake Peavy recovering from surgery, Buehrle is their most tradable big-money player.

Such a move would be unpopular with South Side fans. Buehrle and Konerko are among the last remaining links to the 2005 World Series championship club. A.J. Pierzynski, the catcher from that team, is also a free agent.

Francisco, 31, is a Type A free agent. By accepting arbitration, he'd opt for a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with a near-certain raise from his 2010 salary of $3.265 million.

Other teams have shown interest in Francisco as a closer. However, in recent years, clubs have been reluctant to surrender a high draft pick for Type A relievers who aren't established ninth-inning specialists.

Of the 14 Type A free agents offered arbitration, right-handers Jason Frasor and Grant Balfour are the most similar to Francisco. Both could accept arbitration, returning to the Blue Jays and Rays, respectively.

Francisco, who didn't pitch after Aug. 28 last season due to a muscle strain in his right side, likely would resume a prominent role for the Rangers, either as a setup man or closer.

The Rangers are trying to retain free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee. If they lose him, they might be more likely to move right-hander Neftali Feliz to the rotation, opening the closer’s role for Francisco or someone else.

The team's also discussed making right-hander Alexi Ogando a starter or closer, depending upon what it does with Feliz.

Yet another option, if Lee departs, would be to sign free-agent closer Rafael Soriano.

The Rangers, though, are more likely to spend big on a free-agent hitter such as Vladimir Guerrero, Paul Konerko or Adam Dunn – and supplement the bullpen with a more inexpensive reliever.

Right-hander Bobby Jenks could be one possibility if he is non-tendered by the White Sox. Free-agent righty Kerry Wood could be another.

Francisco, 31, posted a 3.76 ERA in 52 2/3 innings last season, striking out 60 and walking 18. He lost the closer’s role to Feliz after blowing saves in his first two opportunities.

The Red Sox could also get involved if they're unable to re-sign catcher Victor Martinez.

Olivo, 32, is seeking a two-year deal. He posted a better OPS than John Buck over the three previous seasons — .759, compared with .747 — and Buck just agreed to a three-year, $18 million deal with the Florida Marlins.

Olivo batted .269 with 14 home runs and 58 RBI this year for the Colorado Rockies, but his rights were held most recently by the Blue Jays, who acquired him in a trade with Colorado before declining his contract option.